3 Ways COVID Cures Porn Addiction

COVID is changing everything. We don’t know how exactly, but it’s clear that things will never be the same. I have to be honest; the scale of this situation feels similar to September 11, 2001. This is a global situation that will have long-term global ramifications.

I am ever the opportunist. I realize that there is a lot of panic and fear, and rightfully so. But those kinds of reactions, to me, are indicators that prime opportunity is lurking. As Winston Churchill famously said, “Don’t waste a good crisis.”

As I’ve given this more thought, I’ve realized that COVID is a great chance to get free of pornography, and probably not for the reasons you think.

Everyone is tabling the argument that you have more time now, so you should do the things that you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t because you were too busy.

I’m all for that. But I don’t find that angle very compelling.

Others are saying that in the face of so many people losing their health, and even their lives, we should all remember how precious life is, and not take anything for granted.

Again, a great point, but I don’t think that’s going to free anyone of porn addiction.

However, I do believe that there are three major lessons we can take from the COVID-19 outbreak to assist in porn recovery. In the hundreds of men I have worked with over the years, these lessons are woven in every single success story I’ve witnessed.

Read through this carefully, and think about how you could apply each lesson to your own life.

Lesson 1: Your Life Impacts The World

It sounds like a bit of an overstatement, but let’s think about it.

In November 2019, someone came into contact with a bat in a market in China. One person. Not a mob of people, not even a family. One single human being. That individual contracted a virus and began spreading it, unbeknownst to him at the time. Fast forward just six months later, and the entire world shut down as a result.

Not just the man’s city. Not even just his country. The whole world. From the west to the far east. Businesses. Stock markets. Schools. Churches. Charities. Community centers. Restaurants.

Did you catch that? The entire globe has shut down because of one person!

Let’s take this a step further.

Imagine if only half of the world agreed to socially distance, isolate, and increase sanitization. The other half continued to live at their normal pace, do their normal activities, and disregard what was happening elsewhere.

“Well, too bad for them!” you might think.

No, too bad for everyone.

The negligent half of the world would nullify the efforts of the rest of the world. It’s not enough for just a few countries to implement the added regulations. The entire human race has to do their part so that collectively, we can shut this thing down. One bad apple spoils the bunch.

How you live your life affects the rest of the world right now, and that’s just to flatten the curve.

Think about how this applies to a porn recovery context.The biggest lie you could believe about your struggle with porn is that it only affects you.

There are the pornstars on the screen.The website owners who get paid for clicks and traffic.Your present loved ones who want to experience real intimacy with you.Your future loved ones.Your (future) family.The people who look up to you.The people who follow you.Your colleagues/coworkers.Every single person you know who is of the gender that you’re attracted to.

Need I list more?

These people are all impacted in some shape or form every single time you watch pornography.

The way you live your life matters. Not just for your own sake, but for the rest of the world. We are all in this thing called life together. Live it as the people of this world depend on it. In many ways, they do.

Lesson 2: Crisis Reveals Character

It is pretty to easy to be a good person when you’re on top of the world. When things are going your way, and God’s favor is clearly upon you, how can you do any wrong?

The real question is, what kind of person are you amidst a crisis?

How someone handles seasons of blessing and reward indicates a lot about their character and who they are as a person. But it’s only a partial picture. The other part comes into play in the face of difficulty.

A crisis like this global pandemic has a unique way of surfacing our insecurities, fears & areas of mistrust. I’ve experienced some of this myself in this season, and I’ve graciously accepted the challenge to deal with them (I’m an opportunist, remember?).

It is so easy to make excuses right now. People are using COVID to justify more screen time, disconnecting from people, a lack of motivation, falling out of routine, etc.

COVID is an excellent explanation. It is not an excuse.

The call to live a life of godly character, excellence, and joy is still active. God has not compromised in His standards during this global pandemic, and neither should we. It is possible that in this season, parts of you are surfacing that you’re not comfortable with. Maybe it’s a temper, or a need to be busy, or feeling worthless without a job.

Just hear me now: It’s never been a better time to refine your character. Don’t let COVID be an excuse for you. Let it be the catalyst that causes you to dig your heels in, face your shortcomings head-on, and become a better person.

Lesson 3: Thanksgiving Is A Secret Weapon

The Bible clearly says on multiple occasions that we are to give thanks in ALL things. “All” includes global pandemics.

Thanksgiving is powerful because it shifts our focus away from what we lack towards what we have. It is hard to be anxious and thankful at the same time. You can be one or the other, but not both.

Thanksgiving works both as an antidote to anxiety & fear, but also as a preventative measure.

That means that if you are experiencing anxiety & fear right now, it is an excellent time to give thanks.

It also means that if you are not experiencing anxiety & fear right now, it is an excellent time to give thanks.

Thanksgiving is commonly associated with peace in the Bible (see Colossians 3:15 and Philippians 4:6), and for a good reason. Peace is inevitable when we are thankful. The more we focus on what we have, the more confident we become in God’s faithfulness & His ability to provide.

In this season, His provision may be as basic as putting food on the table.

It could be giving you the grace to endure having the kids at home 24/7.

It could be finding meaningful opportunities to occupy your time.

And dare I say it could be getting free of pornography for good.

Thanksgiving doesn’t require capital, copious amounts of time, or much energy. It just needs a little intentionality, and it could be the thing that turns things around once and for all.

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to learn, grow, and become more of the man God created me to be. There is no reason why you can’t do the same.

I want to encourage you to do all you can to make the most of this season. Be creative. Think outside the box. And do not let your emotions make decisions for you. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I urge you to take advantage of right now.